Concrete block machine



April 3, 1934. G. J. SAFFERT 1,953,434

CONCRETE BLOCK MACHINE Filed Feb. 25, 1932' 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ii 5 11v VENTOR 1; Gorye Jab/92 1 3.

April 3, 1934. G. J. SAFFERT CONCRETE BLOCK MACHINE Filed Feb. 25, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR B Y 62901 (I Sa/ri. W A TTORNE Y Patented Apr. 3, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

The present invention relates to a concrete block surfacing machine.

Molded concrete blocks are at present in widespread use as building material, but the fact that the blocks as cast do not have the beauty of texture of natural stone, limits their use largely to a strictly utilitarian field.

I have previously devised (Patent No. 1,501,625) a mechanism for coating a face of a concrete block with a layer of a cementitious mixture of improved appearance over that used in the body of the block. This mechanism produces blocks of attractive appearance, but the necessity of troweling or otherwise smoothing off the surface of the face coat applied, as shown by the above referred to patent, causes the cement used in making the facing mixture to float to the face being troweled and thereby obscures the stone particles used to improve the appearance of the block.

An object of the present invention is to make an improved cement block facing mechanism.

Another object is to produce a cement block having a facing applied to one side thereof, said facing being processed to simulate the appearance of cut stone.

In order to attain these objects, there is provided, in accordance with one feature of the invention, a support for a concrete block with retaining walls closely positioned on each side of the space to be occupied by a block when positioned on said supports. These retaining walls are of a height to extend slightly above a block to be processed in the mechanism to act as a support and positioning medium for a rotating member which rides along the upper edges of said walls.

These and other features of the invention will be more fully brought out in the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a mechanism embodying the present invention and adapted to face corner blocks.

Figure 2 is a view in side elevationof the mechanism shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view in side elevation of the mechanism of Figure 2, showing the opposite side of the mechanism.

Figure 4 is a sectional view on the line 44 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a view in front elevation of a corner of a block supporting frame, with corner retainmg member.

Figure 6 is a view in side elevation of the structure shown in Figure 5.

Figure '7 is a fragmentary portion of the sectional view shown in Figure 4 with a different type of cement block in position therein; and

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the corner of an angle member for retaining cement blocks in position in the machine showing a positioning member for retaining a corner member in position thereon.

Referring to the drawings in detail, a supporting base A comprises longitudinal side members 1 and 2, with support legs 3 rigidly secured thereto. A platform 4 is secured to the upper ends of the legs 3.

On each end of this platform is mounted an angle iron bracing member 5. Mounted in openings in the front end of these angle iron members are rods 6 and 7 secured in position by means of nuts 8 and 9, threadedly mounted on the rods 6 and 7 and firmly gripping the angle irons 5 to hold these rods rigidly in position. Two shorter rods 10 and 11 are mounted near the rear ends of the angle iron side members 5 and are similarly secured by means of nuts 12 and 13 to rigidly grip the angle iron members 5. Mounted on the upper end portions of each pair of rods 6 and 10 and 7 and 11 is a rectangular bar 14 having an opening in each end thereof to receive the rods 6 and 10, and 7 and 11, respectively. Slidably mounted on each of the bars 14 are roller-sup porting blocks 15. Each of these blocks is provided with a V-shaped groove in the lower face thereof to ride on the bars 14 and a fastening block 16 having a similar V-shaped groove in the upper face thereof is clamped to each of the blocks 15 so that the bar 14 rides in the V-shaped grooves of both of these blocks. A bearing 17 is mounted on the upper side of each of the blocks 15 and rotatably supported in these bearings is a shaft 18. A steel roller 19 is fixedly secured to this shaft so as to rotate therewith, and a pulley 20 is mounted on an extending end portion of the shaft 18 and is connected by means of a belt to an electric drive motor 21. A plurality of angularly bent iron bars 22, with their sides at right angles to each other, are mounted with their downwardly extending forward ends rigidly secured to the platform 4 and their rear end portions supported by a transverse bar 23 bolted to the under surface of each of the angularly bent bars 22 and supported by rods 24 which are in turn rigidly secured to the platform. A corner bar 25 is of rectangular section and is provided with a downwardly extending strap 26 on each end-thereof.

The lower end of each of these straps has an opening therein in which is hooked the end of a coil spring 27, the other end of which is secured to the upper surface of the platform 4 by a strip 28, of metal. The strip 28 is attached to the platform slightly rearwardly of a point vertically below the corners of the angle bars 22. A short strip 29 of metal is mounted on the under side of eachend of the corner bar to lie just outside the outer angle bars 22 on each side of the machine. Mounted on the outer face of each of the outer angle bars 25 is a metal plate 30 having a notch 31 rectangular in shape and having each side thereof of a length equal to the width of the short strips 29. This permits the corner bar 25 to be placed either in the solid line or dotted line position shown in Figure 2. The springs 27 hold the bar in either position, and the short strips 29 hold the bar flush with the face of the angle members. Handle members 32 and 33 are secured to the corner bar to facilitate its manipulation. When setting blocks in or removing them from the machine, the corner bar 25 may be dropped down to the dotted line position shown in Figure 4 to avoid interference with the handling of the blocks. 7

A combined support and stripping mechanism for concrete blocks comprises a pair of vertical bars 34 and 35 slidably mounted in blocks 36 secured to the platform 4. The bars 35 are free for vertical movement in the blocks 36 and are operated by links 37 pivotally secured to the bars 35 and connected to arms 38. These arms 38 are fixedly secured to a shaft 39 which has fixedly secured to one end thereof an operating handle 40. Upon moving the operating handle 40 forwardly, the shaft 39 is partially rotated, raising the links 37 and with them the bars 34 and 35. A transverse bar 41 is fixedly secured to the upper end of each of the bars 34 and 35 a slightly less than a ninety-degree angle thereto and has rigidly mounted thereon a supporting framework com prising front and rear members 42 and 43, spacing blocks 44 and 45, and an upper platform portion 46. This platform is adapted to support the tiles or concrete blocks 47 to be faced with the upper and forward faces of said blocks spaced downwardly from the upper and forward edges of the angle members 22, respectively, a distance equal to the desired thickness of the facing to be applied to the blocks or tiles to be treated. A bar 48 is positioned transversely across the rear faces of the upright forward portions of the angle members 22 and shorter bars 49 of a length'equal to the distance between the angle members 22, and of the same thickness as these members, are positioned on the forward face of this bar to act as an end retaining member for the facing material to be applied to the front faces of the blocks. Clamps 50 and 51 are mounted on each end of the bar 48 and when tightened by means of cap screws 52 firmly grip the upright portions of the outer angle members 22 to hold the bar 48 firmly a in adjusted position. A similar bar 53 is mounted square bars 14. The lower run of the chains 55 are carried rearwardly and passed around a second pair of sprocket wheels 58 fixedly secured to a shaft 59 which is rotatably mounted in bearings on the rear of the bars 14. The chain 55 is carried around the sprocket and is secured by a bolt 60 to the rear of the slidable block 15. A large sprocket wheel 61 is also fixedly secured to the shaft 59 and a chain 62 is mounted around this sprocket wheel, and a second smaller sprocket wheel 63, rotatably mounted on a bracket 64 secured to the platform. A handle 65 is fixedly secured to the sprocket 63 and upon manual rotation of the handle 65 in a clockwise direction, as shown in Figure 2, the slidable blocks 15 and 16 will be moved forwardly, and upon a counterclockwise rotation of its handle, the blocks 15 and 16 will be moved rearwardly, carrying the roller 19 over the upper faces of the angle members 22. A motor support bracket 66 is carried upon rods '67 rigidly mounted on the slidable block 15. The motor 21 is mounted on the motor support bracket 66 and has driving connection as by means of a belt 68 with the pulley 20 mounted upon the roller shaft 18.

A second roller 69 similar to the roller 19 is rotatably mounted in bearings 70, which are in turn mounted on bars 71, which are slidably connected as by bands 72 and 73, to bars 74. These bars 74 which are mounted parallel to the upright portions of the angle bars 22 are fixedly secured to the lease members 1 and 2 at their lower ends, and by means of braces 75 (see Figure 4) to the rods 6 and 7, which also support the forward ends of the square track members 14.

A motor support I bracket comprising strap members 76 and 77 is fixedly secured to the bands 72 and 73 to be slidable therewith on the bar 74. On this motor support bracket is mounted an electric motor 78 which is connected, as by means of a belt 79, to the roller 69.

A pair of links 80 have their lower ends pivotally connected to blocks 81 mounted on the slidable bars 71. The lower ends of the links 80 are each pivotally connected to a lever arm 82 fixedly secured to a shaft 83 which is pivotally mounted in brackets 84 and 85 secured to the legs 3, respectively. On one end of the shaft 83 is fixedly secured a sprocket 86 which is connected by reduction sprockets 87 and 88 and chains 89 and 90 to a sprocket 91. A handle 92 is fixedly secured to the sprocket 91 and upon rotating the sprocket 91 and intermediate chains 89 and 90 and sprockets 86, 87, and 88, the levers 82 will raisev the links 80 and with them the slidable bars 71 and the roller 69 and motor 78 to pass the rotating roller across the forward faces of blocks 47 supported in the machine, as best shown in Figure 4. The dotted lines in Figure 4 show the roller and motor and associated members in parl tially raised position.

A trough 93 of sheet metal is provided across the rear of the machine to hold a supply of facing cement.

The operation of the mechanism is as follows: ii.

A plurality of cast cement blocks 47 of a width to fit closely between the angle members 22 are inserted, as shown in Figures 1 and 4. These blocks rest upon the platform 46 with the upper surfaces of the blocks spaced downwardly from-1 the upper edges of the angle members 22 and with the forward faces of the blocks spaced inwardly from the upright portions of the angle members 22, a-distance equal to the thicknessof the facing to be applied to the blocks. The bar 48 with the members carried thereby is then moved upwardly to rest against the lower edge of the downwardly projecting portion of the blocks 47 and is locked in this adjusted position by tightening the bolts 52 to draw the clamps 51 tightly against the outer angle members 22. The bar 53 with the members carried thereby is similarly moved forwardly against the rear face of the horizontal portion of the blocks 47 and is similarly locked in this position.

Assuming that the top face of the block is to be first covered with the facing material, the corner bar 25 is moved to the dotted line position shown in Figure 2 and a quantity of the facing cement contained in the trough 93 is spread, as by means of a trowel, not shown over the tops of the blocks to be approximately level with the upper edges of the angle members 22. It is then struck off level as by means of a straight edged member in a manner well known to cement workers. The motor 21 is then started by means of a suitable switch, not shown, to revolve the roller 19. The handle 65 is then rotated manually to move the revolving roller forwardly and back over the cementitious facing on the tops of the blocks 48?. The action of the roller on the blocks gives them the appearance of sawed stone. The roller does not float the cement of the mixture to the surface, as does troweling, and the particles of sand or fine gravel used in the facing mixture show clearly and add to the beauty of texture of the, finished block. By using different colors of sands and fine gravel, many kinds of stone can be closely simulated and the surface thus formed is more lasting and impervious to moisture than many of the natural stones.

After facing the top surface of a corner block, as above described, the corner bar 25 is swung to the solid line position shown in Figure 4 and a facing of the cementitious facing material is spread over the forward faces of the blocks and is struck off level with the angle members 22, as above described, for the top surfaces. The motor 78 is then started by means of a suitable switch, not shown, which, by means of the belt '79, re volves the roller 69. The crank 92 is then manually rotated to raise the roller 69 and associated parts upwardly to pass the revolving roller 69 across the forward faces of the blocks 47.

The roller 69 and associated parts is then lowered by an opposite rotation of the crank 92 and the facing process is completed. The corner bar 25 is then removed from its position on the corners of the angle members 22 and is moved downwardly and permitted to rest on the roller 69, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 4. The coil springs 27 readily permit this removal of the corner member.

The lever 40 is then swung forwardly, and by means of the arms 38 and links 3'7, raises the slidable bars 34 and their supported platform 46, to the dotted line position shown in Figure 4. This raises the blocks 47 and strips them from between the angle members 22. From this position they may be manually removed to a place to y.

When it is desired to face only one side of a straight block 47--a for other than corner blocks, the block is positioned with its forward face in contact with the corner bar 25, as shown in Figure '7. The facing is then applied to the block and the roller passed over it as described for the top face of the corner block.

In a plant where a large number of blocks are to be faced I prefer to construct a simpler machine with but one motor and roller for the top faces of the straight blocks and in addition use the herein illustrated and described machine for the corner blocks only. Such a machine, however, embodies the same principles of invention herein set forth and can be readily devised by a mechanic familiar with the art and it is, therefore, felt unnecessary to illustrate and describe it herein.

The mechanism is simple and positive in operation and produces a facing greatly superior to any with which I am familiar, rivaling in fact the appearance of cut natural stone.

The process, since it does not float the cement from the facing mixture is of constant texture and strength throughout and shows the sand and gravel particles in their natural colors, since the light covering of cement on the sand particles themselves may be easily washed oif after the facing has hardened. Furthermore, the present mechanism and process provides a very true plane surface, much more so than where the facing is struck off by a straight edge, as in my previous mechanism, hereinbefore referred to, and this feature is of very material advantage where it is desired to grind the surface of the stone after the facing has been applied, since in grinding or polishing a surface with high spots or ridges therein, these irregularities must be ground off before the entire surface of the stone can be ground or polished.

I claim:

1. In a block facing machine, a block support, retaining means adapted to surround a preformed block to extend beyond a face thereof, a roller slidably mounted to move over the extending portion of said retaining means, and drive means operatively connected to said roller to move the periphery of said roller relatively to said retaining means in a direction opposite to the movement of the roller.

2. In a block facing machine, retaining means adapted to surround a block and to extend beyond a face thereof, a roller mounted to move along the extending portion of said retaining means, and drive means connected to said roller to rotate said roller in a direction opposite to that of said roller along said retaining means.

3. In a block facing machine, a pair of parallel retaining members adapted to receive a preformed block therebetween with the face thereof spaced inwardly from the outer edges of said retaining members, end retaining members adjustably mounted transversely between said first retaining members and at the same height thereas, a roller mounted above said retaining members and in peripheral engagement therewith, to be movable across said retaining members, and. drive means mounted to rotate said roller in a direction opposite to its direction of travel across said retaining means.

l. The method of facing a block which comprises spreading a layer of plastic facing material, and of passing a rotating roller over said plastic facing material, the direction of rotation of said roller being opposite to the direction of movement thereof.

GEORGE J. SAFFERT. 

